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Mittwoch, 30. September 2015

Dear
friends,

It
must be because of the first night frosts, the damp and misty
mornings and the early sunsets that right now I feel a strong need to
crochet shawls.

Some
time ago I came across Stylecraft's Merry go Round “Candy Rock”
(it feels more like strawberry fields to me though) and I simply
could not resist... Therefore I intended crocheting a shawl in Candy
Rock for myself.

I had nearly finished one skein when we were
remained of the birthday of my husband's godchild next Sunday...

ARGH!!!

The
colour-scheme of Candy Rock being quite girlish (the godchild in
question turns 6) I knew I held a perfect present in my hands...
Hmpf...
Thus I finished the skein, crocheted a border (choosing Candyfloss,
White and Spring Green), blocked the shawl and: Ta-Dah!

Here
it is!

A
bit small for Josephine though...

Here is Kolumbus again!

I'm
off making the next 24 granny squares for the blanket before I have
another go at another shawl... I'll keep in touch!

Donnerstag, 24. September 2015

Dear
friends,

these
last few days I actually thought I would not manage writing a
blogpost this week at all. I've been working irregular hours these
last two weeks and because of this I did not spend much time in the
studio.

The
only finished project this week (this late afternoon – to be
precise) is a shawl. I've got the inspiration from Sigrid, the lady
behind Kat Kat Katoen (read her post here), started with 41 chain
stitches though (using a 4,5mm hook).

Intending
to crochet the shawl with Stylecraft claret I did not have to
think long about a name: „Red Wine“!

I
have to admit that UB40's “Red Red Wine”(*) did cross my mind, I do
prefer “rode wijn”(**) by Bram Vermeulen though.

But
then – alas – on Monday evening, I ran out of claret!

Frustrated
I made the next 24 granny squares for the blanket I started last week
(have got 48 now). Red
Wine was banished to the side of my working-table, haunting me all
the time. I had made the three little flowers Saturday afternoon
already and did put them atop of the unfinished shawl (making sure
they would not get lost). I knew the shades I had crocheted the
flowers with matched very well, but only yesterday I could actually
picture these shades completing the shawl.

So
I got started this afternoon and finished the shawl just in time to
get Josephine out into the garden to take some pictures before the
daylight faded.

Red
Wine became some kind of cocktail though as it is not only made out
of claret, but out of raspberry and lime as well...

P.S.: I'll
keep in touch!

P.S.2: The
shawl measures 160 cm.

(*) Album
„Labour of Love“ (1983)

(**) This
song was written in 1988 by a Dutch artist and is about a man who's
trying to get on with life after he was left by his wife.

Freitag, 18. September 2015

Dear
friends,

after
the fair, I fell into some kind of void. It had been more exhausting
than I had expected and work did not slow down just because I was not
feeling all that well afterwards (I had caught a cold at the fair
too).

I
also could not focus on any WIP (even though there are plenty in the
studio). So I did a little of this and a little of that, finally
started the blanket I have been wanting to make for ages, started
something else too cause the blanket is a bit boring (both could be
seen on facebook)... Sigh!

Well...
I still cannot focus on anything really and that is probably why I do
not have anything „new“ to show you. But there are some things I
have not come round showing you yet and this would be a great
opportunity for starting to doing so!

It's
getting pretty autumnally outside. It's cold, windy, rainy and
gloomy. Thus we need to create ourselves a warm and cosy environment
to feel better and not to let our mood adjust itself to the
weather-conditions!

And
that is just what I did. Funny enough our red armchairs fitted
perfectly. You will recognise the cushions – Oh, I LOVE them still.
But you might notice the lamp, which indeed is new!

The
idea is not completely mine! I came across the original idea on the
site “Le Monde de Sucrette”. It did inspire me right away though
and as I was still in a mandala-mood...

P.S.:
Did you notice the matching bookmark too?

P.S.2:
I'll keep in touch!P.S.3:You can find Part I of the written pattern of Lucienne's Summer Mandala here (these are the Mandalas I've glued onto the lamp shade).

Sonntag, 13. September 2015

Dear
friends,

last
time I posted the pattern of my „The Flower Within“ granny square
(you can find the pattern here). I used this granny making the
scented sachets you can see in the picture above. And being in a
pattern-writing-mood I thought it a good idea to write down how I
actually made them.

The
sachets were made using a single shade. To simplify matters though I
used three different ones for the tutorial. If you take only one
shade you'll start any new round using use chain stitches instead of
standing stitches too...

You'll
also need a button (approx. 1 cm diagonal) and you finally can
unearth those glittering, shining titbits you've been hiding from
your husband (why do men refuse to understand these twinkling things
are absolutely vital to us?). Hmpf!... Right – let's get started...

Abbreviations:

ch
= chain stitch

dc
= double crochet

loop
= loop made of ch

ss
= slip stitch

tr
= treble

You'll
need two „The Flower Within“ granny squares to start with.

Round
1:

Put
the grannys together back to back and join with dc using back loops
only.

Corners
as follows: dc in first ch, ch 2, dc in second ch.

Opening:
join the first 4 stitches on any side (from corner), next 8 dc on
front granny only. Ch 8 and make these into loop joining ss in last
dc. 8 more dc on front granny (= buttonhole). Continue joining second
granny onto the front one.

Finish
round according to the technique you started it with.

Round
2:

Start
in 10th stitch from any left corner either with ch 2 (= 1 dc) or with
a standing dc. Ch 1, * skip one stitch, dc, ch 1 *, repeat * till *
all around except for corners: 1 dc, ch 2 , 1 dc in loop. Hold large
loop (buttonhole) towards the back of the sachet.

Finish
round according to the technique you started it with.

Round
3:

Start
in 7th loop from any left corner (cornerloop does not count) with
either ch 2 (= 1 dc) or with a standing dc. * ch 1, [3 times (1 tr,
ch1)] in next loop, dc in next loop *. Repeat * till * all around
except for corners. Corners as follows: ch 1, [5 times (1 tr, ch1)]
in cornerloop.

Finish
round according to the technique you started it with.

Finishing:

Fasten
off and weave ends in. Sew button onto back of sachet and twinkling
titbit onto the front. The sachet still needs a filling. I used one
of the lavender-sachets I made (read here).

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About me / Über mich

English:My name is Marjan. I was born in Belgium in 1970. I moved to Germany in the early nineties for love's sake. Even though I got fairly disappointed some years later I never considered returning home as my children were born here in Germany. Fortunately I never did, since I never would have met my wonderful second husband. Read more here.